Marlene L. Baker (Mimi)

Thursday, September 1, 2016 8:09 pm

Marlene L. Baker (Mimi), 79, of Detroit Lakes, Minn. and formerly of Decorah, died Sunday morning, Aug. 28, 2016, at Golden Manor Assisted Living in Detroit Lakes. Memorial services are at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at Decorah Covenant Church in Decorah, with Rev. Don Holmertz officiating. There will be a light luncheon following the service at Phelps Park, shelter No. 1. Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at fjelstul.com.

Marlene Loraine Baker (Mimi) was born Nov. 28, 1936, to Joel and Millicent Ewing. She was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minn. and graduated from Marshal High School in 1954. Following high school Mimi worked for Land ‘O Lakes creamery and she was the Land ‘O Lakes Indian Princess during summer fairs and events. She also modeled for various companies in the Twin Cities after graduating high school. Mimi loved pageants and pageantry and was a runner up for Miss East Minneapolis. In 1957 Mimi met William David Baker (Dave) and they were married on May 10, 1958 at University Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Their marriage was blessed with three wonderful children: David Albert, Deanne Ruth and Joel Arthur. She was an active member in numerous churches in the Decorah area including the Assembly of God, St. John’s Lutheran Church at Locust and most recently the Decorah Covenant Church. She enjoyed being part of the “WOW,” Women of the Word group at Covenant. She was a very talented artist and loved china painting creating many beautiful pieces, some of which were displayed in the international museum of china painters. She loved flowers and enjoyed her flower gardens and greenhouse but her passion was for orchids and for a time she raised them in her greenhouse. She enjoyed making bouquets and corsages for special events using her exotic flowers. She loved spending time at her family cabin on Little White Earth Lake in Northern Minnesota. She cherished her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and she especially loved watching them as they enjoyed swimming, fishing, boating and playing on the jet ski.

Mimi is survived by her mother, Millicent Ewing of Princeton, Minn.; two sisters, Barb Herlofsky of Fridley, Minn. and Jan Backlund of Princeton, Minn.; a son, David Baker of Waubun, Minn.; her daughter and son-in-law, Deanne (Dede) and Vernon Stoskopf of Waubun, Minn.; son, Joel Baker and his fiancée Dawn Stoddard of North Liberty; her grandchildren: Amy and Jakob Hanson, Sasha and Derek Holmes, Forest and Will St. Mane, Nathaniel St. Mane and Jessica, Justin and Julia Baker. Also Karlie and Kelsie Stoddard; and her great-grandchildren: Ethan, Tayvin, Cooper, Lily, Blake, Colton and yet to be born baby Holmes; along with her very much loved Norwegian daughter/exchange student, Ingebjorg Sæbu.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William David Baker, April 5, 2011; and her father, Joel Ewing.